Retractable clothesline



July 5, 1960 c. JACOBSEN RETRACTABLE CLOTHEISLINE Filed Feb. 9, 1959 INVENTOJZ A f f O 2 NE Y United States This invention relates to laundry-apparatus and, more i flano particularly, to a clothesline for use in apartments and homes.

Ordinarily, it is necessary for the housewife to lean out of a window in order to attach :and remove Tlaundry from the clothes line. This is'part'icularly disadvan- .tageous in inclement weather and for ailing persons. 1

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a retractable clothes line assembly that can be conveniently moved into the room for applying and removing laundry and then moved outwardly through the window when not so being used.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a retractable clothes line assembly in which the innermost end thereof is brought within the convenient reach of the housewife for applying or removing clothes therefrom, but which is conveniently moved to the exterior of the building for the drying of the clothes.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a retractable clothes line of the type described that canbe manufactured in large quantities at a relatively low cost, and can be readily installed by any home owner.

All of the foregoing and still further objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from a study of the following specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspectiv-eview of a retractable clothes line assembly made in accordance with the present invention in operative use;

Figure -2 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of certain parts of the clothes line assembly, shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2, showing the parts in an adjusted position;

Figure 4 is an enlarged side elevational view of certain operating parts of the present invention taken along line 4-4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a transverse cross sectional view taken along line 5-5 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a transverse cross sectional view of certain portions of the assembly shown in Figure 4;

Figure 7 is an enlarged transverse cross sectional view taken along line 7-7 of Figure 4;

Figure 8 is a fragmentary transverse cross sectional view taken along line 3-8 of Figure 6; and

Figure 9 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view, with parts broken away, of a window brace elementv forming another part of the present invention. 1

' Referring now to the drawing, a retractable clothes line assembly 10 made in accordance with the present in vention is shown to include a main bracket 12 that is a within an internally threaded extension 22 which abuts 2,943,746 Patented July :5, 1960 bracket and prevent "it from being "torn from engagement with'the window frame.

The bracket 12 also includes a substantially horizontal mounting plate '24 upon which a substantially rectangular sleeve '26 is pivotally mounted by means 'of a pair of depending studs 28, one of which is pivotally re- -ceived within an opening :30 in the bracket plate 24, while the other one thereof is slidably received within an arcuat-e slot 32. .A nut 34 secures the 'one stud 30 to ike bracket plate '24, while a .wing *nut :36 threadedly engages the other stud- 32 to scurely :maintain 'the sleeve -26 in an angularly adjusted position upon the bracket pl'ate 24, 38 illustrated in Figures 2 and 3.

:A generally rectangular shaft 38 -is'slida bly supported within the rectangular opening '25 of the sleeve 26 for reciprocating longitudinal movement relative thereto. A handle 40 is secured to one inner end of the shaft '38, by means of a bolt 42 extending into an internally threaded opening 41 thereof .having a hook '60 for supporting a first pulley .358. bracket plate 44 is "secured to the opposit'eendof the shaft 58, to which one end of "a flexible control cable 46 is secured. The opposite end of the flexible control cable 46 is trained about a third pulley 52 mounted upon an outside support post 54 and secured at its end to a second pulley 56. The mid portion of the control cable 46 is windingly engaged upon a manually operated drum 48 having a shaft 51 carried by cars 49, for purposes hereinafter described. A flexible clothes line 62 is trained about the first pulley 58 and second pulley 56, upon which the clothes are directly supported.

The operation of this device will now be readily understood. The protractor plate 24 enables the sleeve 26 to be angularly adjusted relative to the window frame so 'as to enable the parts to be extended straight to an outside support .pole 54 regardless ofthe angular position thereof relative to the building wall. Since the first pulleyv 58 is secured upon the handle 40 of the shaft 38, rotation of the winding reel 48 by means of the handle 50 is operative to adjust the position of the shaft 38v relative to the window opening since it controls the position of the second pulley 56 relative to the pole 54. Thus, by rotating the handle 59 in one direction, the

inner end of the clothes line can be brought into the room, while rotation of the handle 50 in the opposite direction is operative to draw the loaded clothes line assembly outwardly through the window for drying purposes. Thus, the winding reel 48 simply adjusts the relative lengths of the opposite ends of the control cable 46 without aifecting the tension of the clothes line 62.

While this invention has been described with particular reference to the construction shown in the drawing, it is to be understood that such is not to be construed as imparting limitations upon the invention, which is best defined by the claims appended hereto.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A retractable clothes line comprising, in combination, a bracket having a sleeve, means for securing said bracket upon a window frame, a rigid shaft slidably supported within said sleeve for reciprocating longitudinal movement, a first pulley carried upon one inner end of said shaft, a second pulley, a flexible line trained about said first and second pulleys, a third pulley having means for supported engagement upon an outer support pole, a control cable secured at one end to said second pulley and trained about said third pulley, the opposite end of said control cable being secured to the outer end of said shaft, manually operated means carried by said bracket windingly engaging an intermediate portion of said control cable for adjusting the position of said shaft of generally rectangular, cross sectional shape, said bracket including an elongated sleeve of generally rectangular cross sectional shape having a central rectangular opening slidably receiving said rectangular shaft. therewithin for reciprocating longitudinal movement, said manually operatedmeans comprising a hand operating winding reel secured upon said rectangular sleeve, and said bracket means including protractor means for angularly adjusting the position of said sleeve relative to said bracket.

2. A retractable clothes line comprising, in combination, a bracket having a sleeve, means for securing said bracket upon a window frame, a rigid shaft slidably supported within said sleeve for reciprocating longitudinal movement, a first pulley carried upon one inner end of said shaft, a second pulley, a flexible line trained about said first and second pulleys, a third pulley having means for supported engagement upon an outer sup'port pole, a control cable secured at one end to said second pulley and trained about said third pulley, the opposite end of said control cable being secured to the outer end of said shaft, manually operated means carried by said bracket windingly engaging an intermediate portion of said control cable for adjusting the position of said shaft longitudinally relative to said bracket, said manually operated means comprising a hand operating winding reel secured upon said sleeve, and said bracket means including protractor means for angularly adjusting the position of said sleeve relative to said bracket.

3. A retractable clothes line as set forth in claim 2, wherein said shaft is of generally tubular cross sectional configuration, and said sleeve of said bracket is of generally tubular cross sectional --configuration having a central opening slidably receiving said shaft therewithin for reciprocating longitudinal movement.

4. A retractableclothes line as set'forth in claim 3, wherein said tubular shaft is of generally rectangular cross sectional shape, and said bracket sleeve is of generally rectangular cross sectional shape having a central rectangular opening receiving said rectangular tubular shaft therewithin.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 491,032 Whitton Jan. 31, 1893 945,337 Maynes Jan. 4, 1910 1,157,502 Budaji Oct. 19, 1915 1,270,724 Goud June 25, 1918 1,893,432 Monaco Jan. 3, 1933 2,392,566 Arotzky Jan. 8, 1946 

